Gluten-Free Tahini Snack Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
yields: 16 Slices , One 8x8 cake
This tahini coconut flour cake is an easy refined sugar-free and gluten-free snack cake with chocolate buttercream! Sweetened only with coconut sugar and maple syrup, it's the perfect midday snack cake that tastes indulgent. The chocolate coconut sugar buttercream frosting recipe without powdered sugar uses caramelized coconut sugar as sweetener.
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Tahini Coconut Flour Cake
- ½ cup (65 g) coconut flour
- 6 tablespoons (63 g) sweet rice flour, also called mochiko; do not substitute white or brown rice flour. See note for grain-free option
- 5½ tablespoons (37 g) gluten-free oat flour
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ cup tahini
- ¼ cup neutral oil, such as sunflower or refined coconut oil
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional: 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped, or ½ cup chocolate chips
Coconut Caramel Chocolate Buttercream
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional: Flaky salt, for sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS
Gluten-Free Tahini Coconut Flour Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly oil and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut flour, sweet rice flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, combine milk and vinegar and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together tahini, oil, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. Add egg and vanilla and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Alternate adding half of the dry ingredients, the milk and vinegar mixture, and the remaining dry ingredients, mixing well and scraping down the sides in between each addition.
- If using, add the chocolate chunks and fold to combine.
- Dump the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer with a spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the center bounces back when gently poked. While the cake bakes prepare the coconut caramel for the frosting.
- Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan and letting cool completely on a wire rack before frosting (rush this process by placing the cake on a wire rack in the freezer for 15 minutes). Meanwhile prepare the frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Combine the coconut sugar, water, and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mixing until the sugar completely dissolves. Bring to a simmer then remove from heat and let cool completely. Rush this process by transferring to a small bowl and chilling in the fridge while the cake bakes
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. 1 tablespoon at a time, beat in the coconut caramel. Add the cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired.
Notes
To make this cake grain-free, substitute the sweet rice flour and gluten-free oat flour with the following:
- 56g (½ cup) tapioca flour/starch (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 54g (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) cassava flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
